
Students who are interested in attending law school should chose a major based on their interest in the discipline, with a goal to improving their critical reading writing and analytical reasoning skills. Students are encouraged to pursue a highly demanding academic schedule to hone these skills and make them competitive in law school admissions. Although students can major in anything and go to law school, commonly chosen school majors include Political Science, History, Philosophy and Criminal Justice.
Students who think they want to go to law school are encouraged to add Alvernia interdisciplinary Pre-Law minor to their coursework. Many pre-law students pursue a double-major or an additional minor. For qualified students, graduation from the Honors Program also is recommended.
Alvernia also has partnered with Widener University Delaware Law School and the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University to offer special admissions programs for Alvernia undergraduate students. Read more about those partnerships below.
The Pre-Law program is available at the following Alvernia University campus:
Through a rolling admission process, prospective undergraduate students — including first-year, transfer, and international students — may apply via the Alvernia web portal or The Common Application. To learn more about how to complete your application, please visit our application page.
There are options to assist in financing your education and making the tuition affordable. Visit our Student Financial Services page for a detailed overview of the process, including a link to complete the FAFSA application, as well as more information about tuition, the tuition payment plan and the tuition deferment program we offer. Alvernia’s Title IV code for the FAFSA is 003233. The Office of Student Financial Services is available to help with any questions you may have. Call 610-796-8201 or email sfs@alvernia.edu.
Minor - Required Courses (18 credits)
Elective Credits (3 credits)
According to the American Bar Association, students wishing to attend law school need to develop the following skills:
Recommended courses are upper-level courses with a major research paper required.
The majority of lawyers work in private and corporate legal offices and have opportunity to work for federal, local and state governments. They typically work full time and often put in more than 40 hours a week.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of lawyers is projected to grow 10 percent from 2021 to 2031, faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage in 2021 was $127,990.
The American Bar Association suggest that students develop the ability to organize and manage large tasks, take an active interest in serving others and promoting social justice, and develop knowledge that “helps students derive the maximum benefit from legal education.” There are many activities, clubs, volunteering and leadership opportunities at Alvernia that will fulfill the goals of the American Bar Association in this regard.
Learn more at the website of the American Bar Association.
Ondra Kielbasa, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Biology
610-230-5701
Ondra.kielbasa@alvernia.edu
Eric Recktenwald, Ph. D.
Associate Professor of Biology
610-796-8247
eric.recktenwald@alvernia.edu
Office of Admissions
610.796.8269 | 1.888.ALVERNIA
admissions@alvernia.edu
Alvernia has partnered with Widener University Delaware Law School and the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University to offer special admissions programs for Alvernia undergraduate students.
Delaware Law will offer a minimum $30,000 merit scholarship to all Alvernia students who are admitted through the 3+3 or the Express Admission Program and attend Delaware Law on a full-time basis. This award will be renewable provided the student maintains good academic standing at Delaware Law. The award will be subject to terms and conditions outlined at time of acceptance. All financial aid applications will be handled directly between the student and Delaware Law, who will consider Alvernia students for any need-based financial aid for which they would be normally considered.
Alvernia University undergraduate students may earn both a bachelor's degree and a juris doctor degree in six years, instead of the usual seven provided they:
Students admitted to Delaware Law through the 3+3 program must attend on a full-time basis until they have completed their bachelor's degree. At that time, they may elect to continue their legal studies on either a full- or part-time basis. Students in the 3+3 Early Admissions Program will have Delaware Law send an official transcript to Alvernia at the completion of their first year of law school. Alvernia will award the bachelor's degree to students who have successfully completed the first year of law school and completed all major and core requirements at Alvernia.
Express admissions students will be admitted to Delaware Law if they meet the following criteria:
Candidates may apply for admission without a baccalaureate degree through a pre-arranged 3/3 Early Admissions Agreement between Alvernia University and the Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University. The 3/3 Early Admissions is a highly selective program that allows outstanding students to earn both bachelor's and J.D. degrees in six years total rather than seven. The student will receive a bachelor's degree after three years of undergraduate work and successful completion of the first year of law school.
Eligibility Requirements:
Please contact the Law School Office of Admissions, lawadmissions@duq.edu, for more information.
Widener University Delaware Law
4601 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803
delawarelaw@widener.edu
302-477-2703
Thomas R. Kline School of Law at Duquesne University
Office of Admissions
Hanley Hall
600 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15282
lawadmissions@duq.edu
412-396-6296